I am trying to figure out once and for all what a 1993 DR250SE (electric start) weighs. I had a 1999 DR350SE for a few years and loved a lot of things about it (suspension, ergonomics, handling) but the CV carb was a performance killer off-road, and the weight was obscene, probably aroung 320 all gassed up with my Clark tank. ( I couldn't see plopping down $420 for a pumper carb just to get the throttle response back to approx. where it should have been in the first place, either. )

So... my mailman got a DR250, and I thought, "jeez, that thing must be a dog," until I looked at the specs a little. It's apparently 26 lbs lighter than the 350 and the later models (90 and up, I think) apparently put out 29hp, which is 1hp shy of what the 350 produces. So it's looking like, on paper, the 250 is actually a more capable trail bike, possibly even a little quicker.

Does anybody know, first hand, the weight diff. between the 350SE and the 250SE? There's a 250 for sale near here and I'm damn tempted, but not if it's anywhere near as heavy as my old 350. The specs on the internet are few and far between, but generally they say 260 curb weight for the 250, 286 for the 350. But that doesn't indicate whether it's an S, or an SE, or the offroad dr250. ... etc etc.

I've been enjoying my '94 DR250SE, a very rough non-running $500 Craigslist cheapie that I subsequently put another $1200 into to get it back up to snuff. Bottom line is though, it's a stoutly made bike. Mine had been neglected and abused for years before I got it this past spring, but as long as the engine is never run low on oil, as mine wasn't (shiny cam and rockers) I believe it to be nearly bomb-proof.

I bought it as a 'buddy bike', one that a friend can ride on the single-track trails at my favorite ORV area while I'm on my old beloved XL250. But the facts iz... the DR is such a better dirt bike than the XL, I find myself riding the DR when I go out alone.

I don't have a DR350 to compare it to, but I believe 29 horsepower for the 250 is a bit optimistic. It does have good grunt down low, even compared to the legendary XL, and it's widely reported that the DR250 makes its power up higher in the power band than the DR350, so the numbers may not be wrong, just that the 250 has to wind higher to get there.

I haven't weighed mine, sorry. But I've been most pleased with my DR250. With hindsight, I ought to have shopped around a bit more and found one that wasn't in such rough shape... but mine's in good condition now, and I have the satisfaction of having done the work myself while discovering the ins and outs of this particular machine.

As mentioned by the previous poster, Leon Phelps' "DR350 Thread" (912 pages... pack a lunch) is a great place to learn about these bikes, as the 350 and 250 are very, very similar.

stretch67
thanks for the info., I think I'd probably like the bike a lot if I actually got it, I just was hoping to find definitive proof that it was in fact substantially lighter than the 350 I had. Otherwise, I'll probably give it a pass. My only option seems to be to go look at it and give it a seat of the pants assessment.... But it's a couple hours drive.

Interesting to know that the DR's way better than the XL... I wouldn't have automatically assumed that, though my DR350 was pretty great in all ways other than the weight

have fun on it, they're are a great low-maintenance ride aren't they, I found myself riding it a lot more than the KTM I owned at the same time because I didn't have to quite as wired to have a good time

I don't see how the 250SE would be substantially lighter than the 350SE. They share the same frame, fork, swingarm, lower engine cases and bottom-end internals, bodywork and tank, electrical, etc etc etc.

The only real differences are a slightly smaller carb, different cylinder and piston (and possibly connecting rod), airbox-to-carb snorkel, and CDI.

In regard to the DR250 to XL250 comparison, I believe it's the Suzuki's better suspension that makes it a better dirt bike. The Honda RFVC twin-carb 250 is pretty badass for a 25-year-old 1/4-liter dual-sport, but I can go faster and more comfortably on the DR due to its longer legs and more modern suspension.